One of my son's first and favorite books (and CD-ROMs) about the ocean was Mercer Mayer's Just Grandma and Me, about a special day at the shore. Now that rascal-hero Little Critter has yet another outing in At the Beach with Dad (ages 3-6). The package is a great value containing a book, four small sand molds, a sand sifter, and a shovel. My son laughed loudly at the further misadventures of...

Detecting and exploring Mercer Mayer is always a favorite among preschoolers, and his Little Monster Private Eye Detective Kit (ages 3-6) is a bonus, containing not only two books full of comic intrigue, but sunglasses, a magnifying glass, and a notepad. Move over Sherlock, because Little Monster Private Eye and his assistant, Detective Kerploppus, have two tough cases to crack. In The Lost...